Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Esporte Clube Bahia Greatest All-Time Team

This
is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for the club. The number
25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions'
League.

Bahia has won the Brasileirão title twice: in the 1959 season, defeating Santos' Santásticos which contained figures such as Gilmar, Mauro, Mengálvio, Coutinho, Pepe and Pelé, in the finals and in the 1988 season Bahia edged Internacional. Bahia has only appeared in the Copa Libertadores three times, reaching the quarterfinals in 1989, Bahia's best-ever performance. The club has also won their state title a record 46 times.

Taça Brasil of 1959

TeamGK: Nadinho (Brazil)Widely considered the greatest goalkeeper in the history of Bahia, Nicknamed “O Macho”, he played for the club from 1958 to 1968. He won several state championships (1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1962). and he started for Bahia on the 1959 Brazilian championship winning team. Nadinho was part of a pre-list to the 1962 World Cup.GK: Ronaldo Vieira Passocs (Brazil)Ronaldo helped Bahia to win the 1988 Brazilian Championship, where he was the team's starting goalkeeper. He started as a reserve, but became a starter after Sidmar left the club.

GK: Emerson Ferretti (Brazil)Emerson started his career with Grêmio. He also played for Flamengo, Juventude and Bahia. With Bahia, he was an idol for six years between 2000 and 2005. He is their appearance record holder. He transferred to Vitória in 2006, where he ended his career as a player.RB: Leone (Brazil) Leone was the captain of Bahia that won the Taça Brasil of 1959, currently considered by the CBF as the first Brazilian Championship in history. It is considered by many historians as the most important football tournament in Brazil at the time. Before theis, he won three Rio state champion with in 1953, 1954 and 1955.RB: Perivaldo (Brazil)Perivaldo started his career with local amateurs Itabuna Esporte Clube. He played in the Série A with Esporte Clube Bahia, Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas, São Paulo FC, Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras and Bangu Atlético Clube. In the late 80s, after living three years in South Korea, he relocated to Portugal in hopes of finding a new club, but eventual poor choices and several misfortunes ended up with him as an homeless person having to resort to street vending in Lisbon. Perivaldo returned to his homeland on 11 December 2013 at the age of 60, with the help of the Portuguese Professional Footballers Union. Perivaldo gained two caps for Brazil. He was on the players' pool for the WC Finals in 1982.CB: Roberto Rebouças (Brazil)Roberto Rebouças was a legend with Bahia. He joined the club in 1963 from Victoria. He earned nicknamed the "Baiana Wall". He was known with President Tricolor Osorio Vilas Boas. Roberto also played with Botafogo of Ribeirão Preto before returning to Bahia, where he won the regional titles of 1970 and 1971, and from 1973 to 1977.

Roberto Rebouças

CB: Henricão (Brazil)He was a big centerback of Bahia that won the Taça Brasil of 1959, currently considered by the CBF as the first Brazilian Championship in history. It is considered by many historians as the most important football tournament in Brazil at the time.CB: Vicente Arenari (Brazil)Began in Flamengo's youth teams, where he start his professional career in 1954, but did not feature much. He became a star with Bahia, where he played between 1956 and 1962, winning the 1959 Brazilian Football Championship. He would also play with Palmeiras and Nacional-SP, where he finished his career in 1967.CB: Juvenal Amarijo (Brazil)Juvenal Amarijo started his career with Cruzeiro-RS, joining Flamengo in 1949, then Palmeiras in 1951, moving to Bahia in 1954 then retiring in 1959 while playing with Ypirnga-BA. He played for the Brazil in the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Juvenal lost his money after retiring from playing and was living in poverty. He died on October 30, 2009, at to age 85, in the city of Salvador, in Bahia, Brazil, due to respiratory failure.LB: Romero (Brazil)Jorge Romero Filho, better known as Romero, was a left-back soccer player who played for Bahia of 1973 until 77 , conquering five state titles. He also played for Palmeiras in 1977/78.

DM: Baiaco (Brazil)Baiaco was the star of the Seleção de Francisco do Conde. He joined Bahia because the club also took his friend Caetano. In 1969, Pele was seeking g his 1000th goal when Baiaco famously marked Pele out for the historical goal. He scored a goal in that match. He played with them until the year 1980 when he left the club at the age of 34 and a year later he finished his career defending the Leonico. He was capped in 1974 by Brazil.

DM: Paulo Rodrigues (Brazil)Until he turned 28 years old, he spent his career playing with Uberaba National in Minas Gerais and Botafogo in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo. He joined Bahai in 1986, where he finally found stardom. He was a key player as his club won the 1988 title.

Paulo Rodrigues

CM: Elizeu (Brazil) Elizeu started in 1962 with Santos. He would play for São Cristóvão do Rio, Fluminense, Olaria, New York General, Anderlecht, Belenenses, of Portugal and Vitória de Salvador. He had three stints with Bahia - the first one in 1967, the second in 1969 and the third in 1971/1972. He represented Brazil at the 1964 Olympics.

RW: Marito (Brazil)Known as the "Blond Devil", he was a part of Bahai's team that won the that won the Taça Brasil in 1959. He was was selected as one of the best players in the history of Bahia by the newspaper Correio in 2010. He also earned the nickname “Garrincha do Bahia” (Bahia’s Garrincha).

Marito

RW: Ze Carlos (Brazil) Ze Carlos was the top scorer for Bahia as the club won the Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol in 1988. He played for Internacional, Athletic Mineiro and America. He also played in Saudi Arabia. He was capped 4 times.

Ze Carlos

LW: Biriba (Brazil)Biriba was known for his partnership with Marito while playing for Bahia in 1950's. He began his successful career in the club in 1957, the famous team known as ""Juventude Transviada". He was a part of Bahia that won the Taça Brasil of 1959, currently considered by the CBF as the first Brazilian Championship in history. LW: Jesum (Brazil)Jésum Gabriel is a former left-wing who played for São Paulo, Cruzeiro, Bahia and Vitória-BA. Born on December 25, 1953, Jésum became more famous during his times with Bahia. For the São Paulo, he played 42 matches between 1972 and 1975.AM: José SanFilippo (Argentina)During his club career he played for San Lorenzo, Boca Juniors and Banfield in Argentina, Nacional in Uruguay, and Bangu and SC Bahia in Brazil. He is the 5th highest scoring player in Argentine football. At the international level, Sanfilippo played for the Argentina in the 1958 and 1962 World Cup Finals. He was also part of the Argentina squads that won the 1955 Pan American Games and the 1957 South American Championship.AM: Douglas (Brazil)Douglas started with Santos in 1967, but he made his name with Bahia. He was voted as one of the greatest players in the history of Esporte Clube Bahia by the fans of the club. He is the second highest scorer in the history of Bahia with 211 goals. Douglas also played a short passage (three months) with Bahia's greatest rival: Vitória.

AM: Bobô (Brazil)In 1982, he started his professional career with Catuense. In 1985, he joined Bahia, where he won the 1988 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. In 1989, he was signed by São Paulo, winning the 1989 Bola de Prata, and that year's Campeonato Paulista. He also played for Flamengo, Fluminense, Corinthians and Internacional. Capped 3 times in 1989.

Bobô

ST: Alencar (Brazil)He began his career playing in the amateur categories of Ceará Sporting Club in the first half of the fifties. He briefly played playing for America Football Club of Ceará, then returning to Ceará in the middle of the year 1957. With Bahia, he won essential the 1959 Brazilian Championship, earning the nickname “Bahia’s Pele”. ST: Uéslei (Brazil)Uéslei won many trophies in Bahia, where he played for the two big clubs in the state, Bahia and Vitória. In the five seasons with Bahia, he won five Bahian championships (in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1998 and 1999). He won another title in 1997 with Vitória. He also played for five seasons at Nagoya Grampus in Japan and finished his career in 2009 at Oita Trinita.ST: Charles Fabian (Brazil)Charles fist made his name as a 20 years old striker with Bahia, winning the 1988 Campeonato Baiano de Futebol. In 1991, he joined Cruzeiro where he won two Supercopa Libertadores. In 1992, he moved to Boca Juniors, but never settled down. With Flamengo, Charles was known "Charles Baiano" because the club already had Charles Guerreiro on the team. He managed to score incredible 18 goals in just 29 matches, but only played one season. In 1994, he returned to Bahia, where he once again starred. Capped 9 times.

Charles

ST: Beijoca (Brazil) He played for many clubs in Brazil, but better known for his playing career with Bahia. He spent seven years with Bahia, but on separated stints (69, 70, 75, 76, 77, 78 and 84). He won six Bahian titles (70, 75, 76, 77, 78 and 79). ST: Carlito (Brazil)Carlito was the all-time leading scorer for Bahai with 253 goals. He was known for scoring against Vitoria, Bahai's main rival. He won the Campeonato Baiano: 1947; 1948; 1949; 1950; 1952; 1954; 1956; 1958; 1959.Honorable MentionRodolfo Rodriguez, Marcelo Lomba, Dani Alves, Beto, Edinho, Sapatão, Romeo, Dani Alves, Dada Maravilha, Nonato, Lima, Beberto Campos.

Squad Explanation -- Rodolfo Rodriguez was the most established keepers ever played for the club, but he only spent two seasons there. I selected three keepers who have contributed more. Emerson Ferretti is the club's all-time appearance leader. -- The peak of Perivaldo's career was actually with Botafogo. I admitted that I selected him because of the human interest stories of his life after football. I took him over Dani Alves, who also ony played in the beginning of his career.-- Charles Fabian, Ze Carlos and Paulo Rodrigues played on the 1988 team.